Get Out Alive
by Myvampirepuppy
Summary: After one midnight talk, Ran learns the truth of "Conan-kun". Soon, she learns just what kind of world he was hiding her from.
1. Chapter 1

**Forgive me, fans of Conan. I have failed to provide you with a new story in...how long has it been? I just felt like I had to do something for Conan/Shinichi's birthday and this was the first thing I found that was even close to good.  
**

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"_Ran, run…" The voice commanded her. She wanted to stay, but that voice forced her legs to move as she watched the shadows swallow Shinichi whole. Soon it was upon her, wrapping around her body, biting into her…_

Mouri Ran screamed, sitting upright as the blankets pooled around her hips, falling off her body. The space around her was dark, but she recognized the familiar aura of her room. Sighing, she lay back down and closed her eyes, but only the deeper blackness behind her eyelids greeted her. Ran tried to fall back asleep but ultimately decided it wasn't going to happen. _'Maybe some warm milk will help,'_ she thought, rolling out of bed and heading for the kitchen, when her ears picked up the shuffle of feet scampering down into the agency office. Confused, she followed the noise into the room and found a shadowy form looking out the window sadly, feet dangling, glasses set down on the table. She started to move when his words froze her. "Ran...sometimes I wish you could just forget about me and go on with your life…But I love you so much…" She blinked, and she could swear she saw Shinichi standing there.

Ran approached the child from behind and confirmed his identity with a "Conan-kun?"

The boy jumped and turned. "R-Ran-neechan!"

"What are you doing, Conan-kun? Why are you up so late?"

He remained silent, wondering how he could get out of this. "Uh, I'm going to bed now!" He chirped at last.

"No, Conan-kun. We need to talk about this. Sit down, please," she said, indicating the couch and seating herself next to him, the crescent moon throwing a dim light over the room. "I know something's wrong. What is it?"

"It's nothing…"

"You said you wanted me to forget about you. What do you mean?"

"I-I never said that!"

"Don't lie to me, Conan-kun. Why do you want to be forgotten?"

"But I didn't say that!"

"Conan-kun…" She started, tears forming at the corners of her eyes and running down her cheeks in two thin streams. Conan looked up at her and blinked.

"Ran…I just wish you _could_ forget about me."

"But why do you want me to?"

"I guess I'm just so tired of this. I can't stand to see you cry over me so much. It's painful…"

"Shinichi?"

He nodded slowly, leading to more tears on her part. "I miss you, Ran. I really miss you."

"But that's impossible. How could that—" She was cut off as all thoughts were erased and she entered the peace of sleep. Her last image was of Conan holding his watch up and aiming it at her.

(=^_^=)

Ran opened her eyes to harsh sunlight shining in from outside. _'What a dream,'_ she thought, when she noticed that she was still on the couch she had been on in her dream. A pillow was under her head and someone had tossed a blanket over her, as if they didn't want her to wake up unexpectedly. Sitting up and surveying her surroundings revealed her father sitting at his desk. "Was that you running around last night? You woke me up wandering around the house."

"Oh, sorry, otou-san," she said. _'Then, was that…? No, it couldn't have been. Just a dream, right?'_

"Ohayou, Ran-neechan!"

"Ohayou, Conan-kun. Hey, were you up in the middle of last night? You seem awfully tired."

"What are you talking about, Ran-neechan?"

"Hey, brat, you weren't in bed either when Ran woke me up."

"Ah, that's because…"

"Shinichi…" Ran whispered to herself. Conan's eyes widened in realization. "Conan-kun, can I talk to you for a minute?" She asked aloud. The boy nodded, allowing her to lead him upstairs and into her room. "Please sit down, Conan-kun."

He complied reluctantly, unusually scared of something as simple as a talk. She joined him and turned her head. "Why are you lying to me, Conan-kun?"

"Lying about what?" He asked childishly.

"Why are you lying about being up last night? No one's going to hurt you if you were."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Ran-neechan!"

"I think you do. So tell me, Conan-kun, why did otou-san say you weren't in bed when I accidentally woke him up?"

"Ah, I…" He stuttered, trying to think of an excuse.

"Conan-kun, why won't you tell me?" There were tears in her eyes again, and he couldn't bring himself to meet them. Staring down at the floor instead, he whispered, "I wish it were that simple. I wish I could tell you and neither of us would get in trouble. Things just aren't like that."

"Then…Shinichi…"

"Yeah…"

"How?"

Without lifting his head, Conan retold in a monotone what had happened to him. The childlike voice spoke of men in black, of an untested drug, of the pain, both physical and emotional, of the young traitor who now fights on his side, of the many times he was offered a way out, of the few times he had encountered the very people who had done this to him, of how Hattori had discovered his secret. When he had finished, he let out a breath. "I was trying to protect you, Ran. I just didn't want you to be dragged into this whole mess."

"Shinichi…" She said, drying her tears with the back of her hand. "I guess I understand."

His eyes widened before settling into a mix of relief and guilt. "I really am sorry, Ran. I know you must be furious."

"No, really, I'm fine."

"Okay, I guess." Conan stood and left Ran to mull over what had happened to the one she had thought to be nothing more than a child. She had just started to come to terms with it when she was called out to make dinner. She did so automatically and returned to her room, her friend watching sadly. He got to his feet and ran after her on small legs.

"Ran-neechan!"

"What is it, _Conan-kun_?"

He winced at the name, though a smile was on her face. "I'm sorry."

"About what?"

"About keeping this from you. I should have told you sooner."

"It's alright. I know you had your reasons."

"Just…thank you. For everything. I don't think I could have gotten as far as I did without your help. Some of the strongest allies I've made, I've made because I was with you."

"Ah, you're welcome…" She paused. "But you still have to go to school tomorrow. Goodnight, Conan-kun."

"Goodnight, Ran-neechan."

Ran watched him depart and rocked herself to a standing position, heading off to prepare herself for sleep.

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**And...cut! Chapter 1 complete! I will have 2 up in a week or two (I want this to be Aoyama's present also, so probably biweekly updates.) Happy birthday Shinichi, and it feels good to be back here again!  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**I apologize for the long wait...has it been 2 weeks? Life has decided to catch up to me, with the college games, SATs and schoolwork ganging up on me...****Shutting up now so you can enjoy the chapter.**

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"Come on, Conan-kun! We're going to be late!"

"I'm coming, Ran-neechan!"

She smiled as Conan ran towards her, as if yesterday's events had never happened. He took her hand and walked downstairs with her, opening onto the street. The two turned left and progressed for several minutes in silence, when three simultaneous cries of "Conan-kun" came from behind. Looking back unveiled the children of the Shonen Tantei running towards them. "Conan-kun! Ran-neesan!"

"Hi, kids," she replied, looking down at the teen-child next to her. He was staring back up at her with eyes that said in no uncertain words, "Please don't make me go." She just smiled again and encouraged him on, and suddenly his 'happy child' face was on and he was running back to join them. The group sped ahead of her, chattering about playing soccer later. Ran thought about what she had been doing to Shinichi by just doing what she thought was normal in a child's life. She tried to think from his perspective about what would happen if she were to end up like this, forced to learn things when she knew she was capable of much more. _'I guess this really would be worse for Shinichi than it was for me. To always know that those guys could find him at any minute, that anyone and everyone was an enemy.'_

She realized then just how far ahead the kids had run, and started to try and catch up, when a hand wrapped around her neck and covered her mouth. Her first thought was panic, followed by the calculations that made her decide to duck her head out of her attacker's grasp and thrust her elbow into their stomach. It worked, and the strongly-built man in black stumbled back. _'Wait, that's one of the guys Shinichi told me about!'_ She thought as a second man came around from behind her and slammed her to the ground. She lost consciousness on contact as the first man slung her over his shoulder and threw her into the nearby Porsche.

Conan shivered. "What is it, Kudou-kun?" Haibara Ai whispered in his ear.

"I think something's happened to Ran, but I can't place it."

The girl beside him paled more than she usually did. "Look over there. It'll be coming any second now."

"What?"

An all-too-familiar car passed them, a black Porsche 356-A. "This cannot be good."

"Most likely, that's what happened to your girlfriend. They kidnapped her."

"She's not—"

"Yes, we know, she's not your girlfriend. So tell me, if that's not it, then what is she to you?"

"She's just a close friend, that's all."

She leaned in closer to his face. "You're blushing."

"W-W-No I'm not!"

"Hmm?"

"What are you two doing?" Genta asked slyly, turning his head.

"A-ah, nothing!" He said. The larger boy shrugged, and they progressed onward in silence. They soon arrived at Teitan Elementary School and took their seats for class.

It was an eternity and a half before the final bell rang, releasing Conan from the prison called school. He was quick to head back along the route he had taken, searching for signs of Ran's presence. He stopped at a dried red patch. _'Ran's blood…Then They took her from here.'_

"What is it, Kudou-kun?"

"She's gone. They took her."

"What are you going to do?"

"Talk to hakase and take her back."

She nodded and turned around, leading them both to Agasa's house. Conan stopped for a moment at the house just next door, staring up at the Western-style mansion.

"Are you coming?"

"Oh, uh, yeah." He pulled his gaze away and continued on to the creatively built house that screamed, "An inventor lives here." Ai pulled open the front door and called a "Tadaimasu" to the middle-age man sitting at the counter fiddling with a screwdriver.

"Ah, Ai-kun! Welcome home." He then noticed the child behind her. "Shinichi! What can I do for you?"

"Ran went missing on our way to school. I suspect it's Them."

He stiffened. "What makes you think that?"

"Gin drove past us shortly after her disappearance. I'm sure it was him."

"And he wants to attack them in hopes of getting her back," Ai finished for him.

"Pretty much, yeah."

"At least tell me you won't go after them alone. It wouldn't do if my only guinea pig were to die."

"I won't. Mind if I stay here while we gather the backup?"

"Of course not, Shinichi. Who do you need to contact?"

"I don't really know. There's probably going to be at least one person in there who doesn't know, though."

"Who?"

"At the least, I think oji-san would want to know that his daughter is missing, and he's unlikely to let us go without someone he trusts. He may seem like he just cares about getting dinner and beer, but when it comes to Ran he really does get serious. I'm betting he'll have Megure come, although I think I can ask him to keep it a relative secret, so that we don't have the entirety of the police force. It really wouldn't surprise me if the Organization has some agents on the inside, and that would just be setting off their alarm."

"Anyone else?"

"I guess Hattori would be a requirement, although I'd prefer he not bring Kazuha-chan, as would Jodie-sensei. She's likely to bring someone else she trusts to the party. And there's one more person I need to call personally. I can't give you his name without his permission, but do you mind helping me round up the others?"

"Certainly."

"One thing, though: I think it would be best if I call oji-san myself."

"I'll contact Hattori-kun," Ai said. Agasa nodded to her and took out his own phone, while she headed for the home line. Conan used his own cell phone, and three different tunes were dialed at the same time. He progressed upstairs, where it would be harder to hear him. "Hey, Kaito. I need your help. Yeah, it's related to Them. Get over here. Agasa Hiroshi. You know, next door to my house."

On the ground floor, Agasa and Ai were holding their own conversations. "Hello, Jodie-san? Yes, this is Agasa Hiroshi. I'm calling for Conan-kun. We're ready and going against the Organization. Yes, bring whoever you can. Thank you, we'll see you then. Goodbye."

"Hattori-san, listen to me. We need you in Beika ASAP. No, come alone. You can't come earlier? Fine, goodbye."

"Kogoro-jisan? Can you come to Agasa-hakase's? I need to talk to you. It's about Ran-neechan. Come as soon as you can. Bye!"

The three came together again and reported what their contacts had told them. "Jodie-san will be here with Camel-san this evening."

"Oji-san will be here in five minutes. We'll need to have the story ready by then. Haibara, would you like to contribute?"

"I suppose so."

"As for that other person, he'll be here sometime between late tonight and early tomorrow."

"The same goes for Hattori-san; he intends to catch a plane tonight and come here first thing in the morning."

"Then it's settled. I'd estimate Megure's arrival to be in a few hours, after we've had a chance to explain and oji-san's decided to call him."

"What are we telling him?"

"I would say all they need to know: How we know of the Organization and who they are, mainly. Explanations of the poison and how it works can wait, unless they ask. If that is the case, then we'll have plenty of time to explain it all before everyone gets here."

The 'ding-dong' of the doorbell rang throughout the house. "That must be him now." Agasa made his way to the front door and opened it to Kogoro, who greeted him and walked over to Conan. "All right, what is it, brat?"

He didn't flinch at the older detective's harsh tone, didn't blink, just stared up at him and replied calmly, "Ran's been kidnapped."

His expression turned from annoyance to worry in the space of an instant. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. We saw the kidnappers driving away on our way to school today."

"Well? Who was it?"

"The Black Organization."

"And who are they?"

"If I tell you, you can't tell anyone else until they're all behind bars."

"Shoot."

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**Again, I'm sorry. I write these things all at once, so there really aren't any planned chapter breaks. See you next week! (Hopefully...)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, okay, don't shoot me. Apologies for missing the update time (Why do I always do that now?)...I blame SATs.**

**Disclaimer: You honestly think I own this series? Sadly, I do not. T_T  
**

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The not-child took a deep breath and prepared to speak, when the girl beside him answered. "The Organization is a murderous criminal syndicate dealing in just about anything. Murder, blackmail, illegal drug testing…you name an offense, they've probably committed it. And as They kill anyone who may be a liability, including clients or even their own, no one has discovered Them yet."

Conan turned to her. "Then that guy I saw Vodka with at Tropical Land…?"

"Long dead by now."

"Wait a minute, who is Vodka?"

"Dangerous if given orders, but it seems like he's mostly a lackey and partner to Gin, who is definitely one of the most deadly members I've met."

"No, I mean, why would someone be named Vodka? And now he has a partner called Gin?"

"Yeah, the Organization codenames their members after alcohols. Or at least, the branch after us does. And now they have Ran."

"You seem to know an awful lot about these guys. What aren't you telling me? How do you know this?"

"Because I'm one of Their victims. I saw something I shouldn't have and Gin tried to kill me." He shook his head. "Look, we don't have time for this. Ran could already be dead, for all we know, and each second gives Them another opportunity to attack."

"I have to tell Megure-keibu about this."

"Go ahead. We already have some people coming, but you happened to be the first to show. The only thing is that this must remain secret. We can't have word of this reaching Them too soon, and that's exactly what's going to happen if too many authorities mobilize at once. Also, try to keep Shiratori-keibu out of the loop; it's likely the Organization has some agents in the police and I just don't trust him." He started to pass Kogoro the handset, then withdrew it. "Actually, do you mind if I call him myself? I'm sure I can get him to believe me."

"And why do you think he'll believe—"

Conan dialed the number for Metropolitan Police Headquarters and rested the receiver between his ear and shoulder, at the same time drawing out a red bowtie and fiddling around with something on the back. When he spoke, it was the voice of high-school detective Kudou Shinichi. "Hello, please put me through to Megure Juzo-keibu. Thank you. Hello, keibu, do you remember me? Yes, it's good to hear your voice as well. Listen, I need you over at 22 Nichoume Street. Ran's been kidnapped and I think I know who did it. Her dad's here, too. I'll tell you when you get here. Bring backup with you. Oh yeah, and please don't tell Shiratori-keibu about this. Again, I'll tell you when you get here. Thirty people or so should do it. Don't take anyone who is suspicious in the slightest, please. We'll see you then. Goodbye." When he had put down the phone, the older man was staring at him in shock. "What was that?"

"Bowtie voice-changer. They'll be here in twenty minutes."

"Why do you have a voice-changer?"

"Because how else could 'Sleeping Kogoro' have been born?"

"So _you're_ the reason why I keep losing consciousness on cases?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

"How." The word was not so much a question as an order to answer. The boy slipped his watch off and flipped the cover, revealing that it looked very much like a crosshairs. "Stun-gun wristwatch. Knocks anyone out cold without fail."

"And why did you keep rendering me unconscious?"

"Because you rarely have the right answer and I hate to see you butchering the profession? Also, if you became famous, you were likely to get more clients and that raised the likelihood that someone would ask you about the Organization."

"You and I are going to have to have a talk about this later, brat."

"Sure, but _after_ we get Ran out of there."

"And where exactly is 'there'?"

He took in a breath. "That is one factor we do not know."

"Already on it, Edogawa-kun." Ai turned to tread down the stairs and into the basement.

"What is that girl doing?"

"Haibara has more knowledge of the Organization and how They think than I do. If there's a job to be done that can be done safely and from a distance, like research, she's usually the one to do it. I handle the ones that involve going out and fighting them, things such as playing bait and sometimes taking a bullet."

"And you expect me to believe this."

"Amazing, isn't it?"

"Too much so to be true."

"I'm not going to ask you to believe it; just hold off on your disbelief until Ran's out of danger. Then you can pretend this was all a dream."

"There you go again, referring to my daughter with no suffix. What's with you, brat?"

"That can wait until she's safe. Ask me all you want then."

The doorbell rang, heralding Megure with a good chunk of Division One behind him. Much to Conan's relief, he had agreed to 'Shinichi's' request and left Shiratori behind. "Where's Kudou-kun?"

"Good to see you again, keibu." Shinichi's voice came from the bowtie. "It's been a while."

"You're Kudou-kun? You think we'll believe that?"

"Of course I don't, nor do I really want you to. I just need you all to accept it as true until Ran's safe," Conan said, lowering the bowtie.

"How?"

The story was spun without hesitation or error, as a childish voice told the assembly of 'Conan's' history. "There was a scientist among them known as Sherry who is now in the same position as me. She made the drug that made us this way and she's trying to find an antidote to anyone lucky enough to survive."

"Where is she now?"

"Looking for the Organization's bases throughout Japan. I'm pretty confident she'll find them; she seems to have a pretty good idea of how they think."

"When do we leave?"

"Not now; there are still a few people on their way, and one of them reserves the right to leave. I would still gladly trust any of them with my life, though, and I really am in a way. They all know more than enough to get by and everyone will be here by tomorrow."

"Who else?"

"That will remain a secret."

"Well then, what are we expected to do until then?"

"You are all free to go home or stay as you wish, if hakase will allow it. Oji-san, I'm staying here."

They nodded, leaving one by one, until the house was once more empty except for Kogoro, Megure, Satou, Takagi, and Chiba. The sun was beginning to set outside, and Conan flopped down onto the couch. "Well, what are we supposed to do until the others show up?"

"I'm going back downstairs to look for the Organization. You could help by giving me a list of criteria so I can narrow it down."

"Let's see; it would be conspicuous to bring an unconscious teenage girl anywhere by airplane or train, so it has to be reachable from this neighborhood by car. Ran would wake up within an hour's time, so They would have to get there by then; I'd subtract about ten minutes for the time it would take to get her where they wanted her once they reached the location. I think those are the only special requirements, besides the usual ones that I'm sure you know They would adhere to."

"Got it. Relax, Kudou-kun, we'll find her."

"I'll relax _after_ she's at home with me. I don't care what happens to me for lying to her; I just want to know that she'll be safe."

"Oi, brat, remember she's still _my _daughter."

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**I think this a good stopping point...Please hit that little blue button that says 'Review' on your way out of the theater.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me...Oh, hi. You all asked for an update, so I shall deliver!  
**

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"Relax, Kudou-kun, we'll find her."

"I'll relax _after_ she's at home with me. I don't care what happens to me for lying to her; I just want to know that she'll be safe."

"Oi, brat, remember she's still _my _daughter."

"Ah, Shinichi…"

"Yeah?"

"Can you help me with dinner? With Ai-kun downstairs…"

"Sure, hakase." Conan shivered at the thought of Agasa's cooking. How _had_ he survived before the not-so-young scientist came? He wasn't exactly a professional himself, but at least what he made was edible. By the time they had finished preparing the curry rice meal, the sun was setting outside, and it was completely dark once everyone had finished eating. "Oi, Haibara. What have you found so far?"

"I've located two of their bases in the area. The next one out is near Kusatsu, too far away to meet your one-hour drive specification."

"Great. Jodie will show up any second now, and I expect my 'friend' will arrive while we're asleep."

"You intend to be sleeping when this person comes?"

"He's likely to show up very early in the morning, and I want to be prepared to head out. Sometimes I wonder if he needs to sleep. If the rest of you don't mind, I'd like to speak with him personally before he sees any of you."

"Who is this 'friend' of yours, anyway?"

"I'm still not giving out his name or a description, but let's just say he doesn't exactly play this side of the law. Can you all keep his secret until this is all over? And possibly after?"

"That would depend on what you mean by 'not this side of the law', Kudou-kun."

"You'll understand when he gets here."

A knock came from the front door, and the teen-child rose to answer it. "Jodie-san. Camel-san. Please come in."

"Oi, Ku-Conan, what about me?"

"Hattori. You're early. I would say it's good to see you, but we have an emergency."

"Yeah, I heard. Neechan's been kidnapped?"

"And we're certain it's the Organization. If we go after her, we're likely to at least find some leads on them to trace Them elsewhere."

"Excuse me, who are you two?" Kogoro asked the two adults.

"Ah yes, I remember you! Back from the 'shiranpurri' case!" Megure exclaimed.

"**Yes**, Agasa-san asked us to come." Jodie's face suddenly turned serious as she looked to Conan. "He said you had something on Them?"

"Yeah. They took Ran and Haibara said she found a couple of their bases in the area."

"Is that friend of yours coming too?"

"Yeah, he'll be here by morning."

"There'll be more coming, I presume?"

"If there weren't, I would have asked you to bring more than one person."

"How many?"

"The police will supply us with thirty to forty officers," Conan said, looking to the keibu. He nodded a confirmation.

"Are they all safe?"

"I trust Megure-keibu's decision."

"Well then, it would seem we just wait until your friend comes then."

"Yeah. Will you two be staying here?"

"I think so, if it's not too much trouble?" Jodie looked to Agasa.

"Of course not."

The evening and night passed quickly with plans of attack, Conan reassuring that his 'friend' would catch on easily. When the clock read eleven, they decided it was time to pack up and go to bed. They were all able to find a place to sleep in the large house, and everyone's eyes were closed by midnight.

_Shinichi blinked, adjusting to his surroundings. Mold was beginning to grow on the rusted metal walls, and a pipe ran overhead, curving down on the far wall. It was very dark, the lights overhead flickering and failing. Against the wall, somebody was slouching, handcuffed to the pipe._

"_Ran!" He cried, fearing the worst. Her eyes slowly opened and focused on some spot behind him._

"_Shinichi…Conan-kun…look out!"_

_Turning around, there was Gin, smiling that impossibly evil smile of his, a gun now pointed at the detective's head. "Say goodbye, Shinichi…Shinichi, wake up…"_

"Shinichi, come on. You didn't tell me you were going to bring all these people with us."

Conan came back to awareness at the voice calling him. "What are you doing? What time is it?" He hissed.

"Five-thirty in the morning. I need to talk to you."

"Can't it wait three more hours?"

"By then everyone will have woken up and seen me. Tantei-han and Mouri-san, I can deal with. But why did you bring the police into this?"

"Isn't it obvious? This is ojii-san's daughter we're talking about. Megure is like his security blanket. You can always hide up here or leave if it bothers you."

"No way. I'm not staying home when I know you're in danger and going up against Them."

"Geez…Just go to sleep," Conan said, closing his eyes once more and entering a dreamless rest.

The sun woke him two hours later, and the teen-child sat up, stretching. His guest was in the corner juggling a few colorful balls, putting them away when he saw the boy awaken. "Finally."

"Thank you for entertaining yourself. It's not my house and I can only imagine the damage you could do."

"Hey, I can be quiet when I need to be."

"How do you plan to introduce yourself to them?" Shinichi jerked his head in the general direction of downstairs.

"Simple; the same dramatic entrance as always. You tell them I'm here, and I'll come down once they've had a chance to react."

"Sure, I guess. Did you already make yourself some breakfast?"

"Nah, I wanted to wait until the rest of you were up."

"Whatever." He rolled off the bed and moved to get dressed before heading down the staircase to greet the already standing forms.

"Oi, Kudou-kun, where's that friend of yours you said would come overnight?"

"He's already here. Woke me up a couple hours ago."

The house filled briefly with pink smoke, clearing to expose the top hat and monocle of the Kaitou Kid.

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**Yeah, Kid just _loves_ working his way into my mind. It gets annoying, but I guess I'm used to it.**


	5. Chapter 5

**I have absolutely no excuse for being so late with this...Finals?**

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"Kaitou Kid? He's your 'friend'?"

"Not so much a friend as an ally, but yeah."

"Oh come on, Shinichi, you can't say you don't like having me around."

"Can you all promise not to go after him until this is over?"

"We have more pressing issues than a mere thief right now."

Kid looked like he had taken a blow to the gut. _'Not surprising,'_ Conan thought, _'He lives for the attention.'_

"Welcome, then. We should be leaving soon."

"Haibara, what did you find?"

"I've got two results, both within an hour's drive from here. One is an old weapons factory and the other candidate would be down by Edo Bay. Pick a place to hit."

"Let's head out for the factory after breakfast. It seems like they would want an ample supply of weapons a bit more than a beautiful ocean view."

"All right. Everyone, please help yourselves to whatever you might be able to find."

A few people took out energy bars, while the rest headed for the kitchen, all seating themselves around the living room in small groups. Conan ended up in a circle with Hattori and Kid, all three eating quietly. Heiji broke the silence first.

"Oi, Kudou, do you really think it was wise to make an alliance with him?" He asked, indicating the thief with them.

"You know, I _do_ have a name." Said thief pointed out, taking another bite out of his bagel.

"And what would that name be?"

"Call me Kaito. Hajimemashite."

"You know we've met before."

"Not on common ground, we haven't."

"I suppose that's true."

"And yes, Hattori, I think I made the right decision."

"But what about if he was caught? You'd be in trouble by association."

"I seriously doubt Kaito's ever going to be caught."

"You're just barely out of hot water now! The police could take him as soon as this is over, and you'll be next."

"I don't really care. I knew the potential consequences when I agreed to this."

"Suit yourself," Heiji said, rising to his feet. Most of the group was already standing and waiting for them. "If you're ready, come on!"

The two got up quickly. "All right, let's go. Haibara, you're going to have to lead."

"I'll take Ai-kun." Agasa offered. The girl nodded. "Will anyone be joining us?"

"I'll come with you," the Osakan detective said.

"I have some extra room as well," Jodie called.

"All right. Kid and I will go with Jodie-sensei."

"We're breaking up into teams. Takagi-kun, Satou-san, Chiba-kun, each of you will lead three cars."

"Hai!"

Everyone was on the road within fifteen minutes of leaving the house, and they had arrived forty-five minutes later.

"This is the place. Your girlfriend is likely to be somewhere in here."

"I remember this place! It was shut down a few years ago, but never cleared out."

"Perfect for Them. They would have a constant supply of firearms if they needed them."

"Let's go, then. Whether we find her or not, we're going to see Them."

The others nodded, entering the factory. Just a few moments later, they came across a rack of guns of varying sizes. "Okay, if you want to arm yourself, now's the time," Conan said, selecting a small handgun and a few magazines for himself. Ai chose a revolver and ammo, while Heiji picked out a long sniper rifle. "Oi, Hattori, watch it. Do you even know how to shoot a gun?"

"Don't intend to shoot it," he replied, taking a defensive stance and wielding it as a swordsman would a shinai. "What about you? Since when could you shoot?"

"My dad taught me in Hawaii. I thought I told you that?"

"Nope."

"Huh. Well, let's get going." He ordered before stopping himself. "On second thought, hang on. They probably have a welcoming committee waiting for us."

Jodie cast a gaze around the room, aiming her gun and firing off three rounds. The men in black fell like flies. "That's it."

"Thanks. Watch out for _any_ activity at all, whether it's them or us. Pay attention to every last detail. If you don't, it could be the death of you."

They nodded while the teen-child edged forward, detective and thief close behind him in a spread pattern. They continued like this for several minutes, occasionally shooting down an agent of the Organization. "I expected more of Them. I can't say I thought everyone would make it out of here alive."

A few people swallowed in fear, when Conan froze. "There're more of them. More than we've seen before. Be on your guard, all of you."

The group tensed. Heiji readied his rifle-katana and took a stance as guns sounded and blood spattered. Some cries rang out through the almost-quiet space and bodies fell around them, both the blue police uniforms and the black of their enemies. The skirmish ended within a few minutes, though they were down seven officers. "Let's keep going. The worst thing for us to do is to stay still."

"Lead the way then, Kudou-kun."

He looked ahead to the darker corridors. The lights flickered occasionally and in some places had failed completely. _'This seems too familiar, but if I'm right, then…'_ He thought, calling, "I think she's this way!"

"What makes you think that?" Kogoro asked, skeptical but excited that they might find his daughter.

"Just a feeling, but do you have anything better?"

He shrugged, following the boy inside. The hall was long and unusually empty, almost eerie in a way. Weak cries for help could be heard from the end, a voice that sounded like it had been screaming for a while, dry and raspy. "Ran! She's down there, no doubt about it!" He yelled, running forward, his own gun at the ready. The others were at his heels, moving just a little slower than he. Eventually, the metal walls started to show signs of rust, indicating that the Organization didn't really have any business in this hall except, apparently, keeping hostages. The passageway seemed to go on for an eternity before they found the source of the cries. Just as Conan had thought, the overhead pipe curved down against the dead end, and handcuffed to it, slumped down on her knees, lay the girl who he had lied to, had watched cry because of _him_, who had only just learned that he had been with her the whole time. "Ran!" He screamed, running to her alongside her father. An officer was quick to step forward and cut the handcuff chain binding her. "C-Conan-kun…Shinichi…I missed you…" She whispered, smiling weakly. The miniature detective responded with relief, moving to hug her, when pain slicing through his left chest stopped him. Feeling the blood soaking through his shirt and jacket, he felt for the wound and knew from its location that it was a fatal shot; whoever had fired had punctured his lung. He fell forward into Ran's arms, whispering a few final words. "Ran, run…I…I love you. G-goodb—" He choked on his own blood as his breathing shallowed and quickened, the color and brightness fading from his eyes. He felt his childhood friend drop him, and his head bounced hollowly against the cement floor. Too soon, everything slowed and stopped, the dark engulfing him.

"Shinichi! Shinichi! Answer me!" Ran screamed, looking up with fiery eyes to whoever had done this to Con—to _Shinichi_, only to see Haibara Ai's icy eyes, now speaking of cruelty and a soulless nature, holding a smoking revolver in her hands. There was no child left in this girl. The young woman stood, the boy's head _thudding _against the floor as she dropped him, furious tears in her eyes, and charged the scientist, knocking her out cold with a swift blow to the head. Almost immediately after, the exhaustion of being trapped there took hold of her, and she collapsed, crying over her pseudo-little brother's lifeless body. Her father laid a supportive hand on her shoulder, helping her to her feet and allowing her to lean on him for support. Much to Ran's surprise, the Kaitou Kid was the one who picked up the late little boy, Poker Face broken beyond repair, tears now streaming down his cheeks. "Someone should probably take care of her," Hattori Heiji remarked, pointing to the unconscious girl on the floor. Camel nodded, stepping forward with a pair of handcuffs and binding her wrists behind her back. Agasa took the former-agent of the Organization that he had taken care of for the last six months and carried her out of the building. They left in silence, a few crying. A sobbing Ran was all but being carried by her father outside, having been emotionally destroyed and physically weakened. Everyone in the area knew better than to ask her for a statement or to describe what happened at the moment. Instead, Kogoro ended up driving her home alongside Jodie and Megure, Kid in the backseat with her.

When they had finally returned to the agency, Ran had barely calmed down, but managed to get out the entire story of how she had woken up that night and found Conan, how he had admitted to being the same person she had waited years for, of how he had been shrunk by the people who kidnapped her, how he had been discovered and shared his secret with Heiji, and how he said he could never tell anyone about it. When she had finished the explanation, much of the room was silent with shock until the thief of the group did something, offering the crying girl a gentle hand, throwing a request of permission to her father, who nodded, though both knew he would have taken her with or without permission. She accepted it, allowing him to help her upstairs and into her room, remaining with her for a while in mournful silence.

Ran knew that she had just accepted a thief's help and that now he was in her room with her, but she lacked the presence of mind to question it, choosing to fall onto her bed fully dressed. The space was silent except for her own heartbeat. She gasped when the temperature seemed to drop and a breath tickled her ear, forming words. _"I'll always be with you, Ran…Don't forget me."_ She sat up at once. "Did you hear that?"

Kid looked around. "If you mean Shinichi talking to us just now, then yes. You're not going crazy. Sounded like he wanted to stay with you, though."

"I won't forget you, Shinichi." She whispered to herself, falling backwards again and meeting the darkness of sleep rather than a bed.

* * *

**Sorry about killing off Conan-kun…I was under the influence of Three Days Grace. Please review!  
**


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